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The Hawaiian town of Lahaina on Maui’s west coast has been severely affected by one of the deadliest fires in recent US history. The cause of the fires is still under investigation, but a combination of severe drought, flammable invasive grasses, and powerful winds contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

According to NASA’s active fire data from August 8-10, the fire burned through approximately 2,000 hectares in different locations across Maui. An analysis of satellite imagery captured after the fires revealed that 1,719 buildings had been completely destroyed. However, this figure may underestimate the actual total destruction as it only accounts for structures included in OpenStreetMaps building footprint data. There were cases where buildings were clearly destroyed but not documented in the data, making them uncountable. Additionally, the analysis does not consider the extent of damage to buildings that could not be verified with satellite imagery alone.

To truly understand the devastation caused, it is necessary to compare the images of Lahaina before and after the blaze. In some areas, entire blocks of homes and businesses have been razed to the ground, while in other areas, homes appear to have remained largely untouched.

The fires in Lahaina, similar to Australia’s Black Summer in 2019-2020, serve as a frightful indication of the intensifying fires we can expect as climate change continues to worsen. The combination of factors such as prolonged drought, invasive vegetation, and extreme weather conditions create the perfect environment for such devastating fires to occur.

Efforts are being made to investigate the ignition point of the fire and to better understand the factors that contributed to its rapid spread. It is crucial to learn from these events to strengthen future fire prevention and response strategies, especially in regions prone to similar risks.

The road to recovery for Lahaina will undoubtedly be long and challenging. The community will need significant support and resources to rebuild and restore what has been lost.

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